Abensberg - Gillamoos

The Gillamoos is our favourite time of year. It takes place every year from Thursday to Monday around the first Sunday in September on the Gillamoos meadow in Abensberg. Our Lower Bavarian fair is known for its hearty Bavarian specialities, rustic atmosphere and tasty Gillamoos beer. In four festival tents - Hofbräu, Härteis, Kuchlbauer and Ottenbräu - in the Weissbierstadl and in the wine tent, the festival hosts create an incomparable atmosphere for the public with a varied programme. Right next to the festival meadow, the ‘Oide Gillamoos’ invites you to take a trip back in time. Here you can enjoy a beer from the stein with your snack, right next to the dance floor with unamplified brass band music.

Fair with a long tradition

The Gillamoos is one of the largest markets in Lower . The traders offer rarities, bargains and offers like nowhere else. Haggling is the order of the day here. The Gillamoos is not a folk festival. It is one of the largest and oldest fairs in , and the goods market in particular still characterises this flair today.

Breathtaking rides

The fairground attracts visitors from afar with flashing rides that guarantee breathtaking moments. The Ferris wheel has a touch of nostalgia about it. Classics such as the Space Party, bumper cars and the Hau den Lukas round off the programme.

5 days of exceptional fun

Day 1: Kick-off with wood sawing

As more and more visitors flock to the Festwiese, the event kicks off with an urban Bavarian tradition: A test of strength is the order of the day on Thursday at the Hofbräu! The wood sawing competition challenges dashing men as well as nimble ladies. Any club or group can take part, with the judges scoring men's and women's teams individually. The entry fee is 30.00 euros, with two teams competing. Those who have mastered the art of cutting with the long hacksaws and are fast will win trophies and prizes, and the Hofbräu brewery will also donate beer. Each participant receives the latest Gillamoos mug from the town association. This year's action-packed event will once again be hosted by Siegfried Müller, a man who is well versed in sawing. In good boarish: a Fetzngaudi! Afterwards you can enjoy the atmosphere in the festival tents and on the Liebesinsel. If you want to party afterwards, the Gillamoos has a whole range of party locations to choose from. And then the party continues from Thursday to Saturday at the cult disco centre in the old town.

Day 2: From now on, it's one party after another

On Friday, you'll have plenty of time during the day to recover from the night. With the exception of the Oidn Gillamoos, which is already open from 14:00, the action on the Festwiese doesn't start until 18:00. The official starting point is marked by the Gillamoos parade, one of the largest in and the traditional start to the Gillamoos weekend. More than 3,000 traditional costumers parade through the town to the festival meadow. Impressive carriages, decorated vehicles, guests of honour and many clubs take part in this spectacle. Around 15 choirs and music groups take part in the procession, providing an appropriate atmospheric backdrop. Thousands of enthusiastic visitors line the route of the parade.

Afterwards, the action continues in quick succession: the rustic wooden barrel is traditionally tapped by the 1st Mayor Dr Bernhard Resch in the Ottenbräu tent. Around 2,500 guests in the tent count down to zero before the mayor takes the first blow. The guest queens are then introduced on stage. The reigning Dirndl Queen invites them every year. This meeting of the queens begins in the afternoon with a tour of the brewery and tower at the invitation of the Kuchlbauer brewery.

The is now in full swing and there is a full programme everywhere. If you want to take it a little easier, head for the small historic festival area on the Liebesinsel, the Oidn Gillamoos or one of the large beer gardens in the festival tents, the Weissbierstadl and the ‘Weinstadel’. Party animals can also get their money's worth in the ‘Härteis’ festival tent from midnight to 2:00 a.m. after the festival tents close. The wine tent and Weissbierstadl close their doors at 4:00 am.

Day 3: Start of exhibitions and senior citizens' afternoon

The Gillamooswiese comes back to life at around 10.00 am. The goods market begins on Saturday. At lunchtime, the festival hosts serve Bavarian delicacies, from rustic to original. The senior citizens' afternoon takes place in the Kuchlbauerfestzelt, where Abensberg's older generation meet up for a chat over Gockerl and beer.

Day 4: From church service to Sunday finale

On Sunday at 9.00 a.m., a Christian church service takes place in the largest tent on the square. This was initiated almost 20 years ago by Kuchlbauer brewer Leonhard Salleck to commemorate the Christian roots of the Gillamoos fair. Afterwards, the entire Gillamoos meadow is a hive of activity - after all, it is already the fourth day of the Gillamoos.

Day 5: Big politics and a coronation

The biggest regulars' table in the republic

The Gillamoos Kocherlball begins on Monday at 6.00 am on the Liebesinsel. From 9:00 a.m., the festival meadow is then under the star of big politics. Only here are top representatives of all parties at the lecterns at the same time. Alternatives to big politics are the Ottenbräuzelt, the Kuchlbauerzelt and the Kocherlball at the Oidn Gillamoos mentioned above.

In the afternoon, the festival meadow is dedicated to children and families. Numerous suppliers offer discounted prices for the younger guests. The Gillamoos bear makes its rounds on the festival meadow at the same time.

The coronation comes at the end

At the end we celebrate like royalty! Who will win the prestigious crown in the Härteis festival tent? The 52nd Gillamoos Dirndl Queen will represent the town and the fair at home and abroad for a whole year. Several candidates face the tasks set by the presenters. The winner is allowed to impress the audience and jury alike in the Härteiszelt. The party band rounds off the spectacular show with popular beer tent hits.

Source: City of Abensberg

Travel information:

By public transport:

- by train - Abensberg railway station (distance 1 km)

- by bus - bus stop Gillamooswiese

By car:

- Venue: Gillamooswiese

Parking facilities:

- Wimmer car park (Aumühle 1)

- Kelly car park (Münchener Str. 35)

- Aunkofer car park (Josef-Stanglmeier-Straße)

- Outdoor pool car park (Freibadweg 1)